The White House is preparing to issue an executive order as soon as Friday that enlists the power of the federal government to block states from regulating artificial intelligence, according to four people familiar with the matter and a leaked draft of the order obtained by POLITICO.
The draft document, confirmed as authentic by three people familiar with the matter, would launch several efforts to challenge state AI laws — including an “AI Litigation Task Force” run by the Department of Justice. ...
Government lawyers would be directed to challenge state laws on the grounds that they unconstitutionally regulate interstate commerce, are preempted by existing federal regulations or otherwise at the attorney general’s discretion.
The task force would consult with administration officials, including the special adviser for AI and crypto — a role currently occupied by investor David Sacks — to determine which state AI laws would be worth challenging, according to the document. ...
State legislators are also pushing back against the draft order.
Trump “has no power to issue a royal edict canceling state laws,” said California State Sen. Scott Wiener, author of a new AI safety law in California that the order appears to reference.
See the full story here: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/19/white-house-prepares-executive-order-to-block-state-ai-laws-00660719